Not pre-judging rape, what if it's a spat between them: Goa deputy CM

Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza on Monday advised against a media trial in the "sensitive" rape case in which a Nigerian national has already been arrested, and hinted that the complaint could also be a case of a spat between a "girlfriend and a boyfriend".

"If you want to hear a little bit of extra news, then one of the MLAs was saying that she was his girlfriend. So how much to believe, you tell me. If the girlfriend complains against the boyfriend, how much to believe? That is a debatable issue," D'Souza said.

"Both ways it is sensitive. For the girl it is sensitive, for the boy also it is sensitive and I cannot prejudge," D'Souza said on the sidelines of a government event in the state capital.

Police on Monday arrested one Nigerian for allegedly raping a 31-year-old woman at knife-point along with an accomplice on Saturday night. The Nigerian national identified as Kenneth Upwegdha was arrested from a train at Panvel near Mumbai.

D'Souza said that he did not want to prejudge the case, but also said that unfortunate instances like rape occur all over the country, not just in Goa.

"These happen throughout India, it happens in the state of Goa also. These issues are to be understood (with) in a particular parameter. Why? Because some people give a false complaint. Then what do I say," D'Souza said.

Earlier, Goa's Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said that Nigerians create problems not just in Goa, but in the rest of the country too.

"Nigerians create problem not just in Goa, but in the entire country. Nigerian students come to Goa and India to study, they get an FIR filed (against them), make it a judicial matter and they try to stay in India or Goa and indulge in drugs and other unwanted things," Parulekar said.

--IANS

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